Are they watching our cars illegally?
Car guards are everywhere, but are they operating legally?
Parking attendants and car guards are everywhere we go, but who are they, and should we feel any safer leaving them to watch our cars?
According to the metro’s by-laws, no person may act as, operate as or falsely hold himself or herself out to be a parking attendant on any public road or in any public place of the council without the written permission of the council.
Furthermore, no organisation may organise the guarding of vehicles in public places or on public roads of the council through parking attendants without being registered and approved by the council as a parking-attendant organisation.
Cars damaged during protest in Fulcrum
Only organisations that are registered with the council as parking-attendant organisations may provide a
parking-attendant service in public places or on public roads of the council.
Before any organisation can be registered with the council, the organisation must submit, together with its application form for registration, proof of indemnity or of public-liability insurance with regard to the actions of its parking attendants, to the satisfaction of the council.
Organisations must keep detailed attendance and duty records in respect of their parking attendants.
Each parking attendant in the employ of an organisation must sign a code of conduct for parking attendants.
The policy further states that the organisation is also responsible for issuing garments or uniforms to its parking attendants.
Jan Cronje Park a family park
Every parking attendant must, while on duty and presenting himself or herself as available for service, be neatly dressed in a bib or jacket and must ensure that the identification card is displayed in a visible position.
Most of the attendants we know of do not meet these requirements.
Should we simply turn a blind eye?
